Parasite
by fallanydeeper
Summary: Bella is a young woman who has struggled with drugs all through her life. Rated for language, lemons, and hint at rape  no actual rape!


**Parasite**  
Image #14  
Word Count: 8,321  
Rating: M 

Summary: Bella is a young woman who has struggled with drugs all through her life. Rated for language, lemons, and hint at rape (no actual rape!)

**Disclaimer: This o/s has mention of rape, although no rape is depicted.**

**2 months ago**

Edward sighed as his car pulled up in the driveway of his house. It had been a long and gruelling day and all he wanted when he stepped inside his home, was to kiss and cuddle with his beautiful wife for a moment, re-heat his dinner and eat it on the sofa whilst Bella snuggled into his side. Then he'd place his dirty dishes in the sink, leaving them until the morning to clean. He'd scoop Bella up into his arms and she'd squeal with delight as he ran them up the staircase. They'd bathe together in the en suite, lovingly caressing each others bodies before retiring to bed, where Edward would make sweet love to his wife until his eyes refused to remain open for a moment longer. He'd press his chest to her back as he held her close, kissing the skin of her neck until sleep took him.

Edward's balled up fists rubbed at his tired eyes, he knew that what he wanted would not be happening, not anymore, not since the parasite took over his wife's body. Edward would be lucky if there was even a dinner waiting for him, he would be lucky if his wife was conscious, hell, he'd be bloody lucky if she was even _alive_.

He sat for a moment more, not moving, just looking up at the house. There were no lights on in the house, they were rarely ever on now. Bella's headaches saw to that. Edward's heart began to beat a little faster as he reached across to the passenger side, clutching his medical bag, he exited the vehicle. Would he be needing his bag tonight? Would he find Bella passed out in her own vomit again? Had she burnt herself trying to cook? Had she cut herself? Fallen down the stairs? All these questions and more flowed through Edward's mind in the seconds it took for him to reach the front door. The anticipation of what he would find inside always had him anxious. His palms were sweaty, his heart beating fast, his blood pressure was likely through the roof. He inhaled deeply, pushing open the door and stepping over the threshold.

Edward breathed in through his nose, the house smelt relatively clean so it seemed that Bella had not been sick today. No, he knew that she hadn't because there was no way she would have cleaned it herself. He dropped his bag by the front door, his keys in the bowl which sat on a little table just to the side of the door. He stood still, listening for signs of life within the house. He could hear nothing, no tv, no music, no Bella singing badly. Nothing.

Edward quietly made his way into the living room. He hated that he felt the need to creep around in his own home, it was almost as if he was scared of his wife and in a way he was, Bella had changed, her mood swings could even be volatile and as much as Edward loved her, he was struggling to stay with her. She refused his help at every turn and sank herself deeper into the pits of hell. At the rate she was going, Bella would be dead within the year.

"You're late." Bella's hoarse voice carried from behind him. Edward spun around to face her, his eyes searching the dark room for her, his gaze flicked down to the rug in front of the empty fireplace and there she was, high on coke. Just like every other day.

Edward's eyes raked along the length of her body. He heaved a sigh of relief that she was alive but inside his heart was breaking, everyday the parasite Bella took into her body stole a little more of her. The coke killed her bit by bit. Already she had lost a considerable amount of weight, not that there was much of her to begin with. Her skin was gray and almost like paper, the slightest touch would bruise her, a knock against the kitchen counter would make her bleed. Her beautiful face was now sunken, her cheek bones prominent, making her eyes look dead. No, it wasn't the appearance of her face which gave her eyes that vacant look, that was all down to good old cocaine. Bella was certainly not the beauty she used to be but Edward knew that there was beauty inside of her, it was just a lot harder to find these days. The coke diminished her appetite, causing her current malnourishment, among other side effects.

She had been using for months now and Edward, as a doctor, knew how close to death Bella was, he knew what effects that white powder could have on her body. Increased heartrate, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, chest pain, seizures, headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, respiratory failure, stroke and if she carried on the way she was... _Death_.

"Where have you been?" Bella croaked, the long term use of cocaine causing her voice to crack and making the ability to swallow harder. Edward moved closer, still keeping his distance as he wasn't sure what kind of mood Bella was currently in. He sat down on the couch, not reclining back in comfort as he wished to, but perched on the edge, his back straight as he stared down at the woman in front of him.

"Working, Bella," Edward answered, abruptly. "We had an emergency come in, I couldn't leave." Bella frowned at him, moving her body to sit up. Edward grimaced as he saw her collar bones protruding. Her once nice fitting tank top, now hung loosely from her body making her look like a corpse and in a way, she was. A living one. "No need to ask what you've been doing today."

Bella smirked at her husband. He hated the woman she had become in recent months but he didn't even realise that it was because of him that she was this way. They had shared a whirlwind romance and married quickly but a year later when the honeymoon period had ended and Edward's career became his number one priority, Bella had grown bored of being the good Dr Cullen's trophy wife. She had tired of staying home alone all day and long into the night, she was fed up with her only social life being mandatory attendences to any and all of Edward's work parties and they certainly weren't events that she enjoyed. The only good thing to come out of such a dinner was the free booze and the drunken fumble in the bedroom when they returned home. Although Edward believed their sex life to be perfect, Bella was bored of laying on her back, faking orgasms. She hadn't had to when they first married, Edward had been very attentive then.

So Bella had taken a trip down memory lane. It had been an accident at first, she had bumped into an old friend from her hometown and went back to his house to catch up. He offered her a line and although she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help picking that rolled note up and inhaling that delicious powder into her nose. There was nothing in the world that felt like that first high and Bella had been searching for it in a $200 a day habit ever since. Although she could never achieve that sought after high, Bella enjoyed the feeling of being on top of the world, being awake and alert but most of all she loved the feeling of being stimulated from the cocaine flowing through her veins. Now she continued to use because she was bored. What else was she to do, when she spent most of her time home alone, waiting on her husband?

"Who is she, Edward?" Bella asked, her frequent drug use causing mild bouts of paranoia.

"Who is who, Bella?" Edward sighed, speaking to her like a child, his hand was in his hair as he tugged forcefully at the strands, Bella was going to make him bald before his time.

"The woman you're fucking, Edward! You sure as shit aren't fucking me. So who the hell is she?" Bella shouted, her voice becoming louder and more strained.

"It's not like that, Bella." Edward sighed, feeling older than his years.

"No? Then what is it, Edward? Huh? Are you disgusted by me? Does looking at me not turn you on anymore?" Bella goaded Edward, pushing his buttons. She wanted him, she wanted him to prove that he loved her, that he needed her as much as she needed him and not just for the sizeable bank account which paid for her habit. "Don't you want to fuck me anymore? Is someone else _servicing_ you? There was a time you couldn't keep your hands off of me. A time where minutes after coming, you were hard again, plowing into me until my bones were jelly and one more time would have fucked me into unconsciousness - "

Edward cut her off, his voice raised. "I don't want to hurt you, Bella!" He shouted as he jumped up from the couch, towering over her. "Look at you!" He exclaimed, his arms moving manically as he tried to stress his point. "You're skin and fucking bones, Bella, you might as well be dead! I love you, you know I fucking do but you're killing yourself and it kills me to see you this way. Fucking you, really fucking you, like you want me to, it scares the shit out of me. I don't want to break you, Bella." Edward's voice got quieter as he finished, he was on the verge of tears, the corners of his eyes filling with fluid.

"You couldn't hurt me if you tried," Bella sneered. "You're weak, Edward, a coward. You're nothing!" She screamed.

Rage surged through Edward's body as Bella put him down again, this was one time too many. He knelt on the ground in front of her, his hands gripping the tops of her arms as he roughy pulled her to him. Edward crashed his lips upon hers and thrust his tongue forcefully into her mouth. Bella grimaced as his grip on her intensified. She knew that she would be bruised in the morning, but she relished it, finally, after too long, Edward was being intimate with her and tomorrow she would bear the evidence of it.

"Is this what you want, Bella? Is this what you need?" Edward growled. Bella whimpered as she pulled away from him, she stared into his eyes and saw the lust there, the lust that had been missing but now there was something else in his eyes, anger and most appallingly, hurt.

"Yes." She whispered, shuffling backwards on her knees, crossing her arms across her body she grabbed the hem of her tank top and pulled it over her head. She stood slowly and shimmied out of her yoga pants, leaving herself naked and vulnerable in front of Edward.

Edward's anger increased as he took in Bella's naked form. It had been a long time since he had seen her entire body bared to him and he hadn't realised just how under nourished she was. Her ribs were sticking out, as was her pelvis. She looked like she had no muscle mass at all, her skin literally painted onto her skeleton. Edward was angry at Bella for letting herself get into this state, he was angry at the drugs for doing this to her, for being too addicting for her to say no to but must importantly he was furious with himself for not being enough to save her. He pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it off to the side and following with his pants and boxers.

Bella reached her hand out to his semi hard dick, wrapping her fist around him as she stroked him forcefully. "What's the matter, Edward? Can't get hard because of the monstrosity you're being forced to look at or because I'm not fighting back?" She growled at him. Edward's eyes narrowed as he swatted her hand from his cock. He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her roughly onto her back. Bella let out a little squeak of surprise before she managed to compose herself again.

She raised her head and looked him square in the eyes, spreading her legs and bending them at the knees, giving him a close up of her pussy, bared for him. His eyes left hers and travelled down her body, his hand moved to his dick as he began to stroke his fist up and down, his thumb flicked over the head and he hissed at the sensation. Bella smirked as one hand slid down her body, cupping her sex, she circled her clit with one finger and giggled as Edward's blackened eyes followed the movement. Her other hand moved sensuously up her side and across her chest. She groped her breasts, kneading and pulling at them before tweaking her puckered nipples.

"Fuck me, Edward," Bella goaded once more, watching him intently as his cock hardened at the sight of her pleasuring herself. "Or aren't you _man _enough?"

Edward's eyes darkened considerably more, his hands roughly gripped at Bella's wrists as he pulled her hands away from her body. He gathered her hands in one of his, her thin wrists easily restrained by one of his large hands, he held her arms above her head, pinning them down. Edward moved himself between her thighs and gripped his cock in his hand, he rubbed his head up and down her dripping sex, soaking himself in her juices and moving back down to her entrance. He paused, his eyes meeting hers. Edward wondered for a moment about Bella's sanity, her eyes were hooded with lust, begging for him to take her.

"Oh Bella, I'm going to fuck you," he growled as he plunged his engorged length into her wet heat. He thrust hard and deep, causing Bella's eyes to roll back in her head. "Like you've never been fucked before."

Bella moaned as she pushed her hips back against Edward's, meeting him thrust for thrust, her back arched as she took him deeper into her body. Her breasts were now right in front of his face and Edward leant down, taking a nipple in his mouth, he swirled his tongue around her pebbled flesh before he sank his teeth in. Bella screamed, the pain bordering on pleasure, she felt the wetness between her legs grow and revelled in the sounds Edward was making, his loud grunts and groans, the sound of their skin slapping together.

He released her nipple from his mouth, latching his lips onto the skin of her neck as he sucked, licked and bit her flesh, marking her for all to see that she was his and his alone. His thrusts became harder and faster as he pushed himself deeper inside of her. Unknowingly, his grip on her wrists was tightening with his exertion and the blood flow to her hands was starting to be cut off, the pain felt amazing to Bella, another reminder that Edward was finally inside of her, using and abusing her body, like she had craved for so long.

"Fuck!" Edward cried out as he released his come in long spurts inside of her. He thrust twice more before collapsing on top of her frail body. His climax had exhausted him and it took him a moment to return his breathing and beating heart back into a normal rythmn. As his senses began to come back to him, Edward realised what it was he had just done. In his mind he had effectively raped his wife, the woman he had proclaimed to love and protect for ever. Edward felt that he was worse than the drugs, he was a monster. He pulled his flaccid dick from her body, released her hands and bolted up the stairs, making it to the bathroom just in time to spill the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl.

Bella remained motionless on the floor by the fireplace, her breathing was not heavy, her heart was not racing, if it weren't for the marks on her body or the soreness of her pussy, Bella would swear she hadn't even had sex. She hadn't come. Cocaine had robbed her of that ability. She rolled onto her stomach and crawled on all fours over to the coffee table, she knelt naked on the floor and tipped the contents from her bag, the little baggy or powder falling out onto the surface of the table, along with a square mirror and a roll of notes.

Bella got high that night.

Just like every other night.

.::Parasite::.

**Present Day**

Bella rarely slept in the same bed as Edward anymore, in fact, she hardly ever made it to bed at all. Edward had been coming home to find Bella lying by the hearth, every night and just like the morning after he had acted on his carnal desires, he would find her in the same place after coming downstairs from his restless sleep. It was always restless now. Edward thought that it was almost like having a child. His mother had told him that ever since the moment he had been brought home from the hospital as a newborn, she had never slept as deeply as she had before she was a mother. She always said that although her eyes may be closed and her mind running on reduced power, her ears were always open, always listening to see if her baby would need her. This was how Edward felt now, he was always listening, even when he was asleep, but not for a child, he was listening for sounds of his wife, sounds which would alert him to anything that may be wrong.

This morning however, Edward was surprised to wake up beside Bella. He looked across at his clock, noticing that it was due to go off at any moment. He switched it off and turned onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow as he gazed down at his wife. Bella was tossing and turning, tangling her sweaty body in the bed sheets. She let out a low moan, followed by a whimper and Edward wondered if she was dreaming. Bella's eyes popped open as a scream fell from her lips. Her eyes met Edward's in panic and fear, she reached for his hand, her palms clammy and wet.

"Edward it hurts." She moaned in a childlike voice.

"What does?" Edward asked, his eyebrow raising as his eyes scanned her body as if looking for any signs as to what may be wrong.

"My stomach," Bella cried, tears slipping down her sunken cheeks. She pulled Edward's hand onto her stomach, rolling onto her side and drawing her knees up. "Hurts so much, Edward, please help me."

"You don't usually want my help, Bella," Edward said, his tone of voice bored, hiding the fact that he was terrified on the inside. Was this the beginning of the end? "This is what happens when you put that shit in your body. You know as well as I do that abdominal pain is a side effect from long term use."

Bella cried harder, her head shaking from side to side, as panic ripped through her. "No," she sobbed. "No it's different... Please, it's different!" Her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widening as the nausea rolled through her. She jumped out of bed with speed she hadn't known in some time, throwing herself onto the bathroom floor as she lost what little stomach contents she had.

Edward groaned, rubbing his eyes, before swinging his legs off the side of the bed. He stood up and walked to the bathroom, his sleep pants hung low on his hips as he scratched at his belly. He leant against the door frame and watched as Bella retched repeatedly, there was nothing he could do for her. Bella turned her head in his direction and Edward's heart broke just a little bit more, her eyes were red, the tear stains fresh on her cheeks, her eyes were pleading something with him, _it's different_, he nodded.

"Ok. Get dressed, you can come to the hospital with me." Edward said, stepping back into the bedroom to dress for work.

Bella sat in the sterile room, up on the gurney, her eyes flicked to the door every few seconds, her hands fidgeting in her lap as she waited for Edward to return with her blood results.

After she had been sure that her stomach was going to hold, she had returned to the bedroom, dressing in yoga pants and a hoody, it had been a long time since she had been anywhere near the hospital, a long time since she had even left the house. Her dealer came to her now. Edward had tried to encourage her to eat some dried toast but Bella had refused, not wanting to end up in the bathroom again.

Edward had placed his arm around her as they walked through the hospital to an exam room, he was keeping up appearances, showing his colleagues that he was still happily married, Bella scowled behind the security of her dirty hair and the hood of her jumper. People had tried to make eye contact with her, tried to get her to talk but Edward smiled his award winning smile, informing everyone that his wife was not feeling well before he managed to get her away from the masses.

Edward stepped back into the examination room, Bella's chart in his hands. He'd been pacing in the hall outside, wondering over the accuracy of the results. He didn't know what to do, in an ideal world this would be happy news but this wasn't an ideal world. It was Bella's world and it was fucked up.

Bella looked at him questioningly, her pale face pleading with him, begging him to tell her that she wasn't dying, that she still had time. Her teeth nibbled on her chapped and dry lower lip as she waited with bated breath.

"You're pregnant."

.::Parasite::.

**14 months ago**

Bella paced the vestry as the minutes to her wedding ticked closer. She knew that his family were out there and his friends, colleagues but there was no one there for her, not anymore. She cast her mind back over the last six months as she paced, the heels of her shoes clicking on the old flooring, the train of her dress no doubt picking up dirt. She was panicked, worried. Edward hadn't arrived yet, which is why she was waiting in this tiny room, she always thought it was the bride who was supposed to be late.

"What if he's changed his mind?" Bella asked to the empty room, at least she thought it was.

"He hasn't." A soft voice sounded from behind her, she turned to see Edward's mother smiling fondly at her, Bella let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. If Esme were sure that Edward would be coming, then it was a done deal.

"He should." Bella replied as she sat down on a wooden bench, her shoulders slumping.

"He won't. He loves you, Bella."

Bella sighed, Edward did love her, but he was foolish to. She remembered back to when she had finally got back on her feet. She had gone to Dr Cullen's home to thank him for all of his help, if it hadn't been for his belief if her, she wouldn't have survived those two months in rehab, she wouldn't have had the courage to get her own place or to force herself to find work, to live.

It was a small town, so Carlisle Cullen's home was easy to find. Bella had chewed nervously on her lip as she rang the bell and waited for someone to open the door. Minutes later, the good Doctor himself pulled the door open, he was surprised to see Isabella on his doorstep but he smiled at her warmly, it had been a year since he'd seen her and by looking at her it would seem it had been a very good year for her, she no longer looked like death, now she looked like a healthy young woman. Carlisle held the door open wider, allowing her entry into his home.

Bella had been introduced to his wife, who gushed over 'what a pretty little thing' she was and insisted that she stay for dinner and 'get some more meat on those bones'. Bella had only accepted the offer because she saw how it made her Doctor happy, she wanted to make him happy, it was the only thing she could do to thank him for his kindness.

The Cullen's had been expecting another guest, their son. He was coming over for dinner, to celebrate his new position at the hospital, he wasn't chief, that was his fathers job but his new title placed him just below his father in the pecking order. Edward let himself into the house and made his way straight into the dining room, where his eyes settled on the most beautiful woman in the room.

Bella looked up at the new comer and smiled shyly as she bit down on her lip. Edward was gorgeous and Bella had never been so attracted to another human being.

"I tried to stop him falling in love with me," Bella said, her eyes meeting Esme's as she came out of her memories. "I really did try."

"I know." Esme whispered, moving forward and seating herself beside Bella as she took her hand and squeezed lovingly.

"I didn't want him to love me, it wasn't fair to you or Dr Cullen... Edward's better than this, he shouldn't love an addict."

"An ex-addict, Bella," Esme scolded gently, she hated it when Bella put herself down, she had worked hard to get to where she was and she deserved just as much happiness as the next person. "And I think, seeing as you are about to become our daughter in law, you should really call my husband Carlisle, no more Dr Cullen." She smiled.

The door to the vestry opened and the blond hair of Carlisle's head peeked around. "He's here... He had car trouble." He smiled as Bella stood from the bench, a goofy grin spread across her face. Carlisle held his arm out for her, he had insisted when they announced their engagement, that he would walk Bella down the aisle as she had no family left to speak of.

.::Parasite::.

**Present Day**

Bella was stunned as Edward drove her home, he had insisted that he needed to take the day off, he said they had a lot to discuss. Bella had merely nodded her head, she was mute. Of all the things she had thought Edward would tell her, pregnancy was the furthest from her mind.

"How?" She whispered into the confines of the car.

"I think we both know how, and when." Edward snarled, his mind thinking back to the day he had practically attacked his wife. So, unless she had been sleeping with someone else, which he doubted, she was fucked up but not at that level yet, then the baby was his and had been conceived the night he had lost control, as they hadn't been intimate for months before that.

"I didn't mean that and you know it. I'm not stupid, Edward," He raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes meeting hers before training back on the road ahead. "I'm on the pill." Bella said, confusion clouding her eyes.

"That may be so, Bella, but do you think you've been in the right... _mind frame _to remember to take it everyday?" He questioned, he should have known this was a possibility, she couldn't even remember to eat, how was she supposed to remember her pill? All Bella cared about getting into get body, was cocaine. Nothing else mattered to her.

"I might have forgotten once." She whispered, before her head snapped up, her gaze locking on his profile. "_You _should have worn a condom?"

"Oh! So this is my fault now, huh? I have to wear a fucking condom to sleep with my _wife_? My wife, who always said she hated the barrier between us, she would rather go on the pill, she promised she'd take it everyday." Edward ranted as he pulled into the driveway. He stepped from the car and stormed straight into the house, Bella following meekly behind.

He moved quickly into the kitchen, searching for Bella's bag, he was angry this had happened. He wanted to be a father, he really did, but not when Bella was in this state, she needed to be clean first and who knew what kind of damage she had already done to their unborn child.

"What are you doing?" Bella screeched as she entered the kitchen to see Edward tipping the contents of her purse over the counter. She surged forward, her heart pounding as she grabbed her white powder. Edward's eyes flashed furiously as he spun around to face her. He snatched the packet from her hands and placed it in his pocket. She rushed at him and he held her back with one hand. "Edward, please. Give it to me, please, it's mine." She whined, her voice scratchy, her eyes scared. She should have been scared for her baby but she wasn't, she was just worried about when she'd get her next fix, which would be difficult now that Edward had it.

"Things are going to be changing around here, Bella," Edward said, his hand on her shoulder, pushing her backwards gently until she hit a stool, he helped her sit up on it as she gazed at him in shock and confusion. Was he about to cut her off? "You have my child inside you now, Bella and even though it's really shitty timing, we're having a baby and I won't let you hurt my child."

"What?" She shouted. "You want me to keep this - this... _Parasite_? Because that's what this is Edward. It's going to feed off of me until it kills me."

Edward chuckled humourlessly, taking her hands he looked deep into her eyes. "You're doing that all by yourself."

"Bastard!" She screamed, raising her right arm, she struck him hard across the cheek. Edward barely flinched, Bella on the other hand shook her hand, her palm stinging from the contact.

"Here's how this is going to work, Bella," Edward began as he took a step backwards, leaning against the kitchen counter but keeping his eyes on Bella, his back straight, letting her know in no uncertain terms that everything he was about to say, he meant. His word was law. "From here on out, you are under house arrest. The only time you leave will be with me, for hospital appointments," Bella opened her mouth to protest but Edward held his hand up, continuing on as if there had been no iterruption. "You'll start eating again and you'll take regular exercise for at least and hour each week to begin with. You need to get healthy for our child, Bella."

"House arrest? You can't do that."

"I'm doing what's best for you, us, our future."

"What about...?"

"This?" Edward asked as he pulled the coke from his pocket. "Consider yourself in rehab. I won't make you go cold turkey because of the baby, so I'll be limiting your daily intake."

Bella was horrified at Edward's plan, there was no way she would be accepting his new rules. "No," she said, standing up. "Don't be so fucking ridiculous, Edward. Why the fuck would I give up my high for a stupid fucking parasite. I dont want it, I don't want to change for it so I won't," she took a step closer, pointing get finger at him. "And you're going to cut it out of me."

Edward's anger grew at an alarming rate after Bella's comment of abortion, Edward was anti-abortion and so was Bella, when she wasn't messed up. Bella could see the rage in Edward's eyes and knew she had pushed him too far. For the first time since she had known him, she was scared of him. She swallowed hard before turning on her heel and running. Edward, however knew what she would do, she had that fight or flight look in her eyes and he knew that she would not have the courage to fight. His hand flashed from his side, catching Bella's wrist, he squeezed hard and pulled her body up against his.

"You disgust me," he spat at her. "This isn't you, Bella. It isn't you and until you want to come back to me, you can leave."

Bella's mouth opened in shock and Edward released his hold on her, she stood still, watching him. What should she do? Stay and let the parasite kill her or go and kill the parasite?

Almost as if Edward could read her mind, he spoke again. "Just remember, Bella, if you choose to come back to me and my baby isn't inside your belly? It's done, over, _fucking _finished. Ok?"

"I hate you!" Bella screamed, her hands on his chest as she pushed him away from her. "I disgust you? You fucking disgust me! Forcing me to keep your demon child or you'll leave me? You're fucked, Cullen. Fucked in the fucking head," she raged, grabbing her bag and making her way to the door. "I don't fucking need you, all you were to me was a fucking bank. Fuck you, fuck your fucking job, your stupid assed forgiving family. Fuck the lot of you!" She screamed, slamming the door behind get as she left.

Edward let out a sob and fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands. He heard the door open and Bella's feet move into his field of vision.

"Edward?" She asked softly. He raised his head slowly, tears falling, thick and fast, down his cheeks. "Say goodbye to your beloved baby, cause you'll never fucking see it again." She said with a sneer before turning and running for the door again. Edward curled into a ball on the floor and sobbed. He didn't move for two days.

On the third day, there was a knock on the door. Carlisle stood patiently outside, waiting for Edward or Bella to let him in. He had heard through the grapevine that Bella had been ill a few days previously and his son had not shown up for work since, Carlisle was beginning to wonder if something wasn't seriously wrong. After standing on the doorstep for five minutes, without answer, Carlisle tried the handle, to his surprise, the house was unlocked. He walked in, listening for any sounds, there was nothing. Panic settled in his chest as he began to search the lower ground of the house, eventually he came across his son, lying in a heap on the kitchen floor. Carlisle gasped, unable, at first, to see any signs of life until Edward let out a deafening scream, his eyes opening quickly and searching the room almost manically. His eyes fell upon his father.

"Dad!" He croaked, breaking down once more. He would have thought it impossible to cry anymore, surely he had no more tears to shed but the combination of the nightmare he had just woken from and the sight of his father, proved that he could indeed cry more.

"Son?" Carlisle asked, the worry for his son clearly evident in his voice and face. "Edward? Where's Bella?" He questioned, worse case scenarios flying around his mind. Had they been burgled? Had they fought? Had Bella left him? Was Bella incredibly sick?

"She's gone. There're both gone." Edward cried. Carlisle knelt next to his son in confusion.

"Both?" He asked and Edward proceeded to tell him everything that had happened. The months of drug use, the fighting, the goading, the sex, the baby. Carlisle stayed silent as he listened to his son. He would have never imagined that Bella would find herself back on the road of cocaine, he supposed that old saying, 'once an addict, always an addict' was true, although he had hoped if anyone could prove it to be false, it would be Bella.

Of course, everything made sense now. All the times that Bella and Edward had cancelled family dinners, the many times Bella had had a migraine and also that Carlisle hadn't seen her at the hospital in quite some time and she always used to love visiting Edward at work. Carlisle sent Edward upstairs to shower and sleep. Once he had left the room, Carlisle called his wife, he told her everything and she sobbed. She cried for her son, she cried for the grandchild she would likely never know but she also cried for Bella, the poor little lost girl, who once again had stumbled down the wrong path. She was too stubborn and proud to ask for help, she had got that from her father and he was the reason this journey had begun for her.

A week after Bella had walked out on Edward, Bella found herself waking up on the sofa at James' house. She had met the young businessman in a coffee shop, not far from where she lived with Edward. They had chatted for sometime and James had asked if she had anywhere to stay. She told him she hadn't, she knew it was risky to tell this stranger details like that but she felt a connection to James, she felt like she could trust him.

"Morning, Beautiful," she heard him speak from across the room. Bella's eyes blinked repeatedly as they tried to get used to the light filtering into the room. "There's a line on the table for you, I'm going to shower." James announced. Bells smiled and thanked him before slipping off the couch and onto her knees in front of the table.

James smirked as he watched the young woman, he turned away quietly and made his way to his bathroom. Stepping into the shower he though back to when he first met Bella. It was obvious to him that she was a user, she was exactly the type of girl he preyed on. The weak ones, the ones who were running away, the ones who would do anything for a gram of coke in their pocket. He had watched her from across the coffee shop, watches how her hands shook, she needed a fix. He introduced himself to her, acting like the gentleman he portrayed on the outside and after a couple of hours he had encouraged her to crash on his sofa for a few days.

Bella had insisted she wouldn't be there long, she just needed somewhere to crash until she was on her feet. He told her she could stay as long as she liked. Then he got her high and he kept getting her high. As soon as Bella began to come down, James had a line or two ready for her. He emerged a while later, freshly showered and dressed, when he entered the living room again, Bella was passed out on the couch. He smiled sinisterly and went to make some calls.

Bella woke hours later to a lot of chatter, she blinked her eyes open and took in her surroundings, she was at James' she knew but there were at least six other men sitting around, all of them watching her. She felt a hand on her thigh and she turned her head to the right, her eyes dropping to the hand which was tracing patterns along her naked flesh.

_Naked flesh? _Bella thought, not remembering taking her clothes off. Her eyes travelled up the arm which belonged to the hand, higher and higher until she locked eyes with James.

"What's going on?" She asked timidly. James reached for her hand and places it over his hardening cock, pressing her hand harder against the denim that covered him as his own hand moved higher up her thigh, closer to her bare pussy. "James don't!" Bella squeaked trying in vain to push his hand from her and to remove her own from him.

"You owe me, Bella," James smiled, gripping Bella's chin tightly, her turned her head around the room and she noticed that every man in the room was no in a state of undress. "Drugs don't come for free."

.::Parasite::.

**26 months ago**

Carlisle Cullen was working in the ER, it was now the early hours of the morning and he was nearing the end of his 48 hour shift, he had been longing to get home to his wife for hours now, he had missed her dearly. He was standing by the doors, waiting for the latest and, hopefully his last, trauma to come in. Moments later a young girl was being wheeled into the emergency room, her body convulsing wildly, he immediately set to work, ordering blood work and injecting her with drugs to calm her fitting.

The entire team had been sure that they would lose her but miraculously she had pulled through. As Carlisle's shift came to an end, he made his way to the young girls room. His plans of going home to his wife were now on hold. He felt as though this girl meant something to him, that she had come into his life for a purpose and Carlisle vowed to himself that he would do anything he could to help her. She was sleeping when he entered her room, he sat carefully on the edge of her bed, studying her features. She was so young, Carlisle would have been surprised if she were any older than seventeen. He sat with her for over three hours and eventually she began to stir.

"Hello, I'm Dr Cullen, do you know where you are?" He asked her, she blinked her eyes and tried to speak, her throat too dry. Carlisle smiled at her kindly and handed her a glass of water, he helped her to drink.

"H-hospital." She croaked.

"That's right," he smiled warmly again and the girl began to relax in his presence. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Isabella." She replied.

"Do you know why you're here, Isabella?"

Isabella's brow furrowed as she stretched her mind, trying furiously to work out what the last thing she remembered was. A party. Cocaine. A line. And another. Another. Another. Headache. Pain. Another line.

"I o-overdosed?" She asked, it seemed to be the most logical answer, of course, she had been so high that anything was possible, for all she knew, she could have been hit by a train. She certainly felt as though she had. Carlisle nodded, placing his hand on top of hers and that simple show of affection had Isabella spilling all of her secrets. She knew she could trust Carlisle, she knew he wanted to help her and she honestly wanted the help. So she told him everything, she told him how her mother had left when she was a small child, how her father had re-married and his number one priority had become his new bride, his daughter and her happiness no longer important to him. Isabella cried as she told Carlisle how she had started hanging out with the wrong people at school, shoplifting and doing anything she could to grab the attention of her father. Even though she had been arrested by his deputy on three occasions, Isabella and still been dismissed by her father. He scolded her for her wrong doings then took his wife out to dinner. Isabella told of her steady decline into the world of drugs, she described how amazing she felt when she was high, but how anxious she was as she came down, causing her to take more and more of the illegal substance into her body, just to mantain that pleasurable buzz.

Carlisle smiled at her the entire time, he held her as she cried, he held her hand, squeezing reassuringly and when she was done, he lay her back against her pillows.

"Sleep, Isabella, your body is tired," Isabella nodded, her lids growing heavy. "I'll come back in the morning with some numbers that will be of use to you but you need to know that this will only work if you want it to, do you want this? Do you want help to stop?" He asked as he stood up.

"I do." Isabella replied drowsing before sleep took her.

.::Parasite::.

**Present Day**

Bella walked home, home to her husband, to her life. The last few days had shown her the woman she had become, a woman who was forced to perform sexual acts to pay for the drugs she had consumed. At any other time in her life, she would have told James to fuck off. She would have told him that he would not be touching her body and that if he really wanted to, he'd have to kill her first but after she had realised what James and the other men wanted, she knew that she wasn't strong enough to fight them offend suddenly she was reminded of what she carried in her stomach. The being she had come to think of as a parasite, feeding off of her and forcing her out of her home, because it existed and she didn't want it to, only as she sat on that sofa with James' foul hands on her body, Bella realised that it wasn't a parasite, it was Edward. It was her and Edward, together as they should be.

Bella knew she had to do everything she could to get her baby, _his baby, _back to him, safely.

Bella cried as she reached her marital home, Edward's car wasn't there and the house was in darkness. She sat down on the porch, waiting in the cold for her husband, the love of her life. She didn't care how long she had to wait, she would sit there all night if she had to. Bella wrapped her arms around her abdomen as if to protect her little miracle from the bitter cold. She let her mind wander far into the future, imaging herself standing on this very porch waiting dutifully for Edward to return, her stomach swollen with the truth of their love nestled safely inside and two older children running around the driveway. A small boy with Edward's copper hair, falling in a mess over his face, hiding his deep brown eyes from view. He would be chasing his younger sister and she would be squealing with joy as she ran from her brother. Her brown hair would flow in the breeze and as her brother caught her, she'd turn to Bella, a bright smile on her face, her green eyes shining as she'd say 'He caught me, Momma!"

This was what Bella wanted, a life with her husband and children, but first she needed to start over, she needed to get her head in shape and the drugs out of her system, for her, for Edward, for their baby. She just needed Edward to come home, to help her, to love her.

Edward sat religiously at the bedside of his wife, she had been found two days ago by a dumpster in an alleyway, she had been seriously beaten and the police believed she had been raped, multiple times. Edward had still been wallowing in his own self pity when his father called, telling him that Bella was there, at the hospital, and it was serious. Edward hadn't left her bedside since. She had machines breathing for her and he prayed that she would take a breath by herself, but he knew it was impossible, her brain had suffered too much damage. Carlisle came into the room and Edward knew, he knew it was time to say goodbye to his wife and baby.

"We would have had beautiful children, Bella. How could we not when they would have you as their mother. You chose the wrong paths, but you're beautiful. Inside and out, my love. I can see you now, you're standing on the porch with our love growing in your belly while our other two children play on the driveway, you're all waiting for me to come home from work. A small boy with my copper hair, falling in a mess over his face, hiding his deep brown eyes from view. He would be chasing his younger sister and she would be squealing with joy as she ran from her brother. Her brown hair would flow in the breeze and as her brother caught her, she'd turn to you, a bright smile on her face, her green eyes shining as she'd say 'He caught me, Momma!" and then you'd laugh at her and our child would kick in your stomach and-" Edward sobbed, his head in his hands as he failed to talk any longer. Carlisle had tears falling from hearing his sons hopes for the future, Esme walked into the room and took her place on the other side of her son, both of his parents placed a loving hand on his shoulder.

"Can she hear me" Edward asked, raising his head, his eyes travelling over his wife's beautiful face, she looked so peaceful, almost as if she were sleeping.

"Of course she can, Edward," Esme replied.

"She's picturing everything you described, son." Carlisle said, he moved to the ventilator and Edward nodded at him. It was time.

"I'm so sorry, I love you." Edward whispered. "Both of you." For Edward believed that this was all his fault, if he hadn't pushed her out the door...

_I love you, Edward, my savior_.


End file.
